Chapter 37

The heavy snowstorm isolated the Arctic, turning it into a nearly uninhabited area, except for the local indigenous Inuit people, few ventured here.

"Damn it! Liu, are you really sure the person we're looking for is here?"

Tony Stark, clad in a specially designed armor for the freezing region, was flying in the air and was quite speechless due to the harsh weather outside.

"Don't worry, the title of Prophet isn't given for nothing. Trust me, I'm right," Liu Ruian, sitting in his private aircraft, said with a smile, holding a glass of wine.

This aircraft was neither a private business jet nor a Bugatti-Veyron luxury transport vehicle, but a sleek and stylish flying craft.

If there were executives from Elysium Space present, they would notice that this aircraft, from the outside, looked similar to a medical transport aircraft.

The difference was that it was more streamlined, without the rigid lines of a medical transport aircraft.

The internal differences were even more significant, with a luxurious living cabin, a complete medical cabin, and various other configurations, making it far more high-end than any private jet.

"But why do I have to fly outside while you stay in the warm and comfortable aircraft? That's not fair!"

Through the communication system of the Iron Man armor, Tony Stark, who could clearly see the other person's comfortable posture, instantly felt the urge to strike.

However, after seeing the person's "poison tongue" repeatedly proven true, even though Tony Stark was very annoyed by the person's repeated defiance, he had to admit that this guy probably could really predict the past and future.

"Come on, Tony, at least you have the Iron Man armor. Phil and the others don't even have that," Liu Ruian, who showed no sign of guilt, raised his wine glass and said with a smile:

"Searching in such a harsh environment is a pain in the ass, so, Tony, be grateful."

"Bullshit! That's the worst comfort I've ever heard," Tony Stark muttered to himself, his face sour as he flew over the Arctic plain.

Due to the lack of precise coordinates and the constantly changing terrain of the Arctic ice sheet, the search lasted for three days before they finally found something.

It was unclear whether it was due to Phil Coulson's admiration, but the first to discover the target was not Liu Ruian or Tony Stark, but Phil Coulson's ground team.

"Phil, are you sure you've found the target?" Liu Ruian, sitting on a high-end sofa and watching the latest e-sports competition, asked in surprise.

Phil Coulson, dressed in warm clothing and standing in the icy wilderness, moved his body, which was about to freeze, and replied through the communicator:

"Based on your description, this time it should be right, but the thing isn't on the ice surface, it's below."

"Congratulations, Phil, you've found your idol. I believe your wish will soon come true," Liu Ruian said with a smile, immediately directing the aircraft to the area.

"Yeah, I can't wait."

Thinking about meeting his idol and finding him personally, Phil Coulson's face was filled with excitement and anticipation.

Thanks to the powerful engine, it didn't take long for Liu Ruian to reach the target area.

As for Iron Man, after just one day of searching, he started playing around.

When he received the message, this playboy was enjoying the热情招待 of the local girls in a bar on an island.

By the time Tony Stark arrived, the excavation work had already been temporarily halted.

"Let me see what the real American hero looks like," Tony Stark, opening the helmet of his Iron Man armor, shouted as he walked into the medical cabin of the aircraft.

On the medical platform in the medical cabin, a muscular and handsome man was lying naked.

"How is he, Liu? What's his condition?" Phil Coulson, standing beside the medical platform, asked worriedly, ignoring the latecomer's shouting.

"Nothing to worry about. According to the medical platform's scan results, Captain's condition is very good," Liu Ruian replied, looking at the display screen.

"Very good? I don't see it," Tony Stark said, looking at the nearly lifeless body on the platform.

"Mr. Iron Man, if you can't speak, please be quiet!" Phil Coulson, usually a good-natured person, rarely lost his temper.

Indeed, when a good person loses their temper, the impact is quite significant.

Tony Stark, startled, quickly raised his hands and said:

"Oh, calm down, calm down, I was just joking."

"Why hasn't he woken up yet?" Phil Coulson, ignoring the other person, turned and asked.

"Simple, during his time in the Arctic, Captain has been in a hibernation-like state," Liu Ruian, giving a smug look at the playboy, explained:

"This is likely a self-protection mechanism from the Super Soldier Serum, which will take some time to end. If we forcibly wake him, it would do more harm than good."

"I see." Phil Coulson nodded, though he felt a bit disappointed that he couldn't meet his idol immediately, he understood the importance of the situation:

"Liu, can you please take Captain back to headquarters?"

"No problem, that's one of the conditions of the deal," Liu Ruian said with a smile, speaking with a double meaning.

"Liu, I know the terms of the deal, but I hope you can wait until Captain recovers before taking his blood," Phil Coulson said, understanding the implications.

"Alright, but I need to give Captain a small injection to confirm his current condition," Liu Ruian said, shrugging, not surprised by the request.

After confirming that the small injection was just to take a few drops of blood for a preliminary test, Phil Coulson agreed.

Once Captain America's condition was confirmed, Phil Coulson, who had taken the lead in the operation, couldn't stay in the harsh Arctic any longer.

It didn't take long for the three, no, four people, including Tony Stark who hitched a ride, to return to SHIELD headquarters.

"Damn it! If I ever race you again, I must be brain-dead," Tony Stark said with a sour face, calculating the average speed of the aircraft.

He even used a strange tone to say "brain-dead" in Chinese.

Phil Coulson, despite his concern for his idol, was equally amazed by the speed of the aircraft.

Jokingly, the journey from the Arctic to New York took less time than a trip to the supermarket, which was truly shocking.

"Alright, I've delivered the person. I hope you won't go back on the deal," Liu Ruian said calmly as he watched Captain America being taken away.

"Don't worry, Liu. Once Captain recovers, the items of the deal will be delivered to you soon," Phil Coulson promised, turning to leave the aircraft.

"That's fine. However, I suggest you be gentle when recruiting the other person," Liu Ruian said, shrugging, before adding:

"If Captain needs any help, like psychological counseling, you can come to me. It's free."

"If needed, I'll contact you," Phil Coulson said, looking at Liu Ruian, then followed the medical team into SHIELD headquarters.

Soon, the snow-white aircraft slowly rose into the air and flew toward the Umbrella Technology building.

Looking at the man in the Iron Man armor, who was drinking with his helmet open, Liu Ruian, back in the luxurious living cabin, said with a smile:

"Tony, the mission is complete. Why are you still here? Aren't you worried about Pepper? I heard the number of people sending her flowers is increasing."

"That just means Pepper is hot. What's there to worry about?" Tony Stark, scanning the aircraft with his Iron Man armor, drank the rest of his wine and changed the subject:

"Liu, do you really think the battle robots created by Ivan Vanko are good?"

"Though the designs are a bit ugly and the functions are limited, from a practical standpoint, they are indeed good," Liu Ruian said, nodding and pouring himself a glass of red wine.

"Do you think if I develop something similar, it could really solve the crisis you mentioned?" Tony Stark asked seriously.

"I've said it before, solving that crisis isn't something you can do alone," Liu Ruian said, wagging his finger, then continued:

"However, if you really want to develop intelligent robots, I think it's a good idea, but there's one thing you must pay attention to."

"What's that?" Tony Stark, who was just trying to change the subject, asked curiously.

"Simple, not every AI can be as loyal as JARVIS. The more powerful the AI, the greater the danger if it goes wrong."

"I believe you understand this better than I do," Liu Ruian said, sipping the premium red wine.

"Alright, I'll consider your advice," Tony Stark said, clearly not taking it to heart.

Thinking about "Avengers: Age of Ultron," which hadn't been released in this world yet, Liu Ruian wanted to warn Tony not to create the AI called Ultron.

But then he thought, not only had his presence significantly affected the plot of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but even if the story continued due to historical inertia and self-correction, Ultron's appearance might not be entirely bad for him. So, he swallowed his words.

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